100 YEARS AGO

This afternoon, as I was walking into Lickey Village from King's Norton, I came across innumerable frogs. They lined the hedges and covered the road so thickly that I had to walk on tiptoe. I thus proceeded quite 400 yards, where the phenomenon ended as sharply defined as it had begun. Nowhere else along the road was a frog to be seen. I was particularly astonished, as I knew the nearest water to be the Little Reservoir — quite 1/5 mile away. The frogs were about ten days old, very small. A cottage stood about 300 yards from the beginning of this swarm. Upon enquiry I ascertained that the frogs had thus congregated since noon on Monday, that they had literally besieged the house, jumping all over the ground-floor rooms, that the garden and its paths were full of them. The present occupants had lived there 4 1/2 years, but had never experienced anything like this. They have sometimes seen a few frogs cross the road in wet weather. They are now occupied with brushing them out of doors. Can any of your readers explain the cause of this extraordinary spectacle?

From Nature 13 July 1899.

50 YEARS AGO

The centre of the Ciba Foundation at 41 Portland Place, London, W.1, was opened by Sir Henry Dale on June 22. This foundation is, we believe, unique in conception and purpose. The ideal of free flow and inter-communication of results of research in medicine and chemistry is very far from realization. The impediments normally present in the way of full collaboration are those of professional jealousy, indifference between academic and commercial spheres, trade competition and secrecy, languages, national prejudices, political and economical factors, distance, and so on. Such impediments become insurmountable barriers in the ruthlessness of war and when national fears exact secrecy. The directors of the well-known firm of Ciba, of Basle,⃛ recognized the potential vigour of research when international cross-fertilization could take place, as exemplified in Anglo-American scientific co-operation⃛. It was agreed to endow an institution to encourage, so far as possible, personal meetings of research workers from all over the world.

From Nature 16 July 1949.